First the bad news. There has been a lot of stuff happening in the last few weeks. Not only are all my electronic devices falling apart at the seams, but everyone in my family is getting sick and injured. To make things worse, I am running out of resources to gather news. So, unfortunately, I will no longer be able to devote this blog to news-related items.

Fortunately for me – and for you – it has been said that great minds think alike. I happen to think some great minds picked up my idea and, fortunately, had more capital and more know-how to make things work. Thus, Hunt County News was born. I welcome all of you to visit their website and check it out. Oh, and if you have a news tip, please let them know!

I do want to continue this blog; however, since news is out of the realm of possibilities, I’m looking for other ideas in moving forward. Sheila says I should do trivia; however, I don’t think it would work out very well or last very long. I want to do a lifestyle and entertainment blog; but the truth of the matter is that life in Hunt County is neither entertaining nor makes for a picture-perfect lifestyle. Or, does it?

Either way, I would like for you to give me YOUR ideas as to what I should do in order to continue this blog. I want to continue at some capacity or another; and I do want to make this one of the most visited websites in Hunt County, Texas.

If you have any ideas, feel free to shoot them out via e-mail or Facebook comment/message.

Sorry I haven’t been able to keep up with this blog. My life has been so disorganized lately, it isn’t funny. With a little bit of help from my longtime girlfriend, Sheila, I shall get this site back on track and keep it updated more frequently. Stay tuned for more information…

Flag Flying From Vehicle Fodder For Fail Forums

So, the big controversy going on in Caddo Mills revolves around a student who didn’t have his/her American Flag secured tightly enough on his/her personal vehicle, and it has led to a major stink in social media. In fact, it got almost every student on the Caddo Mills High School campus who had a motor vehicle to proudly wave the red, white and blue in protest. The new principal, Jana Everett, is trying to reassure her students that she would never ban them from proudly displaying the U. S. Flag, saying that, on Friday morning, she will greet students with flyers containing information about proper flag-flying techniques.

Kimber’s Movin’ On, She’ll Soon Be Gone…

It is with a heavy heart that I report that Kimber Patterson, the Parks and Recreation Director for the City of Greenville, will be leaving on June 12th. While she says she’s proud of all she’s accomplished while serving in the post, the next chapter of her life is about to begin and she’s looking for another exciting challenge. The search has already begun for Patterson’s replacement. The city is looking for someone who will be responsible for the planning, organizing, directing, and controlling for all activities of the Parks and Rec Department. In addition, the ideal candidate will also provide general supervision to the Parks, Recreation, Cemetery, Golf Course, and Municipal Pool divisions and staff, as well as manage budgetary and fiscal matters and develop and implement the parks and rec master plan.

Whoa, whoa, WHOA-A-A-A-A-A-H!

The trial of Joshua Newkirk, who has pleaded not guilty to the charge of murdering Joshua Gerber on Valentine’s Day, 2014, which was scheduled for Monday, has been set back until the end of August, with jury selection scheduled for August 24. The reason being is that Newkirk is filing a motion to seek probation if he is found guilty of murder, as he has never been convicted of a felony. 27 witnesses were subpoenaed to testify; and Newkirk remains at the Hunt County Jail on an $800,000 bond on the murder charge and a $25,000 bond on an unrelated charge of terroristic threat causing fear of imminent serious bodily injury. What allegedly happened was that Newkirk shot Gerber three times with a .25 caliber pistol after a fight broke out over a girl at a Caddo Mills house.

Summer Bookworms Club Meeting Commences!

The W. Walworth Harrison Library in Greenville is hosting the “Super Summer Reading Kick-Off” event Saturday afternoon, with registration for the summer reading program starting at 10:00 a.m. Included in the day’s activities are face-painting, a super hero photo stand, balloon twisting with Soda Pop McBop, a concert by David Chicken, a video game truck for teens only, the movie “The Giver” for the young adult Super Saturday Matinee starting at 1:00 p.m., and the movie “The Hundred Foot Journey” for the adult Super Saturday Matinee, starting at 3:30 p.m. The library’s reading program will continue for 8 weeks, and you can call (903) 457-2992 for more information.

Meanwhile, registration begins June 8 for the Commerce Public Library’s summer reading program. This year’s theme, similar to Greenville’s, is “Every Hero Has a Story”. There will be a puppet show on Wednesday, June 10; and from there, activities will be held every Wednesday during the summer months at Commerce Elementary, 2900 FM 3218, from 10:30 to Noon. For more information, you can call (903) 886-6858 or go to their website at commercepubliclibrary.org.

Finally, For All You Fine Arts Collectors…

This weekend at the Audie Murphy American Cotton Museum is the Cotton Boll ArtFest. The show is scheduled from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Saturday and 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. on Sunday and only costs $4 to get in, with children 12 and under admitted free. Among the items included will be a variety of hand-made items such as pottery, jewelry, paintings, fused glass, mosaic tile art, quilts, clothing, candles, soaps and more. In addition, the art department at Texas A&M University-Commerce is also sponsoring a Kids’ Korner, with hands-on activities for children. A $1-off coupon for admission is available at their website, and you can call (903) 450-4052 or go to the website at cottonmuseum.com.

There will be an open house tomorrow at the Hunt Regional Emergency Care Center, 2800 Highway 24 in Commerce, from 2:00 to 4:00 p.m. There are several people scheduled to speak before the crowd, including HMHD Board Chairman Ron Wensel.

The Emergency Care Center was funded by a bond referendum which passed in November of 2013. The facility includes four exam rooms, a helicopter landing pad, an ambulance station with EMS living quarters, imaging services such as CT scan, x-ray, ultrasound, a full service lab, bone density testing, and an infusion treatment center for outpatient services.

The center opens Monday, May 18. After that, the existing Hunt Regional Community Hospital, at 2900 Sterling Hart Drive, will cease operations, with all inpatients being transferred to Hunt Regional Medical Center in Greenville.

The bond referendum also covered the construction of the Hunt Regional Emergency Care Center in Quinlan and renovations to the third floor at Hunt Regional Medical Center.

In other news, a State Appeals Court upheld conviction and prison sentence for Willie Frank Jackson, 56.

A jury in the 354th district court sentenced him to 90 years in prison on one count of aggravated robbery with a deadly weapon after convicting him in May of 2014 in a one-day trial.

The Sixth District Court of Appeals considered the request on Thursday, then issued denial Friday morning.

On May 21, 2013, Jackson allegedly shot a male victim in the leg while attempting to steal his wallet and cell phone.

Jackson must serve at least 45 years before being eligible for parole.

That’s all for now. Hopefully I’ll get back into the swing of things this week.

There was a lot of stuff that happened during the course of the day. Some things were just outright bizarre, while other things were benign. Here are the top three stories that hit the local newspapers:

HCSO Deputy Strikes Pregnant Woman

Perhaps the most shocking – and most controversial – story of the day comes from the Quinlan area, where 38-year-old Deanna Jo Robinson became a victim of a bizarre case of police brutality. Robinson was nine months pregnant on the evening of March 4, when representatives from Child Protective Services came to assume custody of her 1-year-old son. They brought along a deputy from the Hunt County Sheriff’s Office with them. This came after an incident in December of 2014 involving Robinson, her partner, Joe Llenas, Sr., and 4 children that they were caring for. CPS told Robinson that they would take custody of the 1-year-old after their investigation was complete. What happened, however, was that the Sheriff’s Deputy tried to overpower Robinson, even after she repeatedly let the officer know that she was pregnant. The punches that ensued resulted in a bruise on the bottom of her abdomen. Robinson was booked on March 4, charged with one count each of assault of a public servant ($15,000 bond), interference with child custody ($1,500), and resisting arrest ($4,000). She was released on bond on March 9, and, on March 15, gave birth to her infant, who was immediately sent into the custody of CPS.

Shooting Results in Lockdown of Commerce ISD Campuses

Shortly before 8:00 a.m. this morning, Commerce Police Department was dispatched to the scene of a shooting in a parking lot located in the 800 block of Culver Street at the intersection of Mangum. The victim, a 27-year-old Commerce resident, was shot in the face, but was later treated and released from Hunt Regional Medical Center in Greenville. In the process of trying to locate the gunman, all Commerce Independent School District campuses were on a modified lockdown. At around 10:00 a.m., the suspect, a 44-year-old Commerce resident, was located and apprehended; and, at 10:06 a.m., the lockdown was lifted. The suspect faces a second-degree felony charge of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.

Pedestrian Hit On the Square

In what appears to be a classic move from the popular Atari game “Frogger”, a male driver of a GMC Sierra, headed northbound on Johnson Street, turning left on westbound Lee Street, struck a pedestrian at around 12:20 p.m. A Greenville Police Officer on the scene said it was not immediately clear who had the right-of-way, but that the incident was being investigated. The pedestrian, a male, was taken to Hunt Regional Medical Center with unspecified injuries.

“I have become aware of an internet allegation accusing one of my deputies of improper actions. I have initiated an administrative investigation to determine if any policy violations occurred. Public confidence and trust in the Sheriff’s Office is a high priority for me and we take all allegations of misconduct seriously. We will allow the investigation to run its course in a manner which is fair to all concerned and we will make no assumptions or guesses until all facts are determined. Additional information will be released as appropriate and the results of our investigation will be made public upon conclusion.”

Hello everyone! Hope y’all are staying warm! They cancelled the Winter Storm Warning at around 3:00 p.m., but they said that the slush that’s all over everywhere is expected to refreeze and leave a layer of black ice, leaving the roads treacherous. So, be careful!

In the “Only in Hunt County” department, a Texas Department of Public Safety Trooper went to check up on a jack-knifed 18 wheeler, at about 6:15 this morning, at the 79-mile marker on Eastbound Interstate 30, near Royse City. A passenger car suddenly lost control and hit a truck, and a second trooper was called out. As they were trying to sort out the mess, another 18-wheeler jack-knifed, hit all three vehicles, corrected and drove away. A third trooper was called out, and – deja vu! – another 18-wheeler jack-knifed and hit all three vehicles again. They were still trying to find the truck as of 11:00 a.m. this morning; and they have a partial plate number. So hopefully they find this guy and talk to him about everything.

As soon as the snow and ice dries off, we’re supposed to get another round tomorrow night into Wednesday morning – then we’re supposed to maybe rinse and repeat on Friday, before it warms up to a soggy 62 degrees on Sunday, whereupon everything will dry up. The National Weather Service has issued a Winter Storm Watch from late tomorrow night until Wednesday at Noon. 1-3 inch accumulations are possible, with locally higher amounts anticipated in some spots. So, Hunt County will remain a Winter Wonderland for the remainder of the week.

That’s all for now. Hope you guys stay warm, stay dry, stay safe and stay out of trouble!